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The Bailiff :
I have notice of a second statement to be made on the matter of official responsibility by the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, which was submitted too late to the Greffier, I am afraid, for it to be included on the Order Paper.
5.2 Deputy S. Ferguson (Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee):
Thank you, Sir. Yes, I would apologise to the House for it coming rather late. Members will recall that the 8th amendment to the Annual Business Plan - P.92 2006 - called for the Public Accounts Committee to be asked to review the Property Plan and I also gave an undertaking that this report would be available to the States by the beginning of November. In the event, after discussion, the Comptroller and Auditor General agreed to undertake this report on the methodology underlying the Property Plan. The Comptroller and Auditor General has confirmed that the report will be available by the end of this month and will be presented to the States at that time. Since the States will not now be sitting until 7th November, the P.A.C. (Public Accounts Committee) felt that it should explain to the Assembly that this review was undertaken and will be issued independently by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Normal procedures will apply, in that the P.A.C. intends to consider the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General at its meeting of 6th November and may decide to issue its own comments. I would ask Members to delete the final sentence, not because I cannot read it, or I have forgotten my glasses, or because the P.A.C. is impolite, but because of the implication that the Comptroller and Auditor General works for the P.A.C. As this Assembly is aware, this is manifestly not the case. The Comptroller and Auditor General is fiercely and totally independent and reports only to this Assembly. I would apologise for this late amendment.
L:\The States\Statements\Statements 2006\24.10.06 PAC re Availability of report of Review of Property
Plan.doc